Oroweat/Arnold's breads are all natural and have no HFCS or trans fats. If you happen to live near one of their outlets, like I do, you can get some pretty good deals on their products.

Fiona, have you tried this experiment comparing sugar to agave nectar? I switched from turbinado sugar to agave nectar in my coffee because agave has a low glycemic index and is not supposed to spike your blood sugar, and it doesn't have an aftertaste like stevia does.

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If you love something, set it free. If it doesn't come back, HUNT IT DOWN AND KILL IT!

Oroweat/Arnold's breads are all natural and have no HFCS or trans fats. If you happen to live near one of their outlets, like I do, you can get some pretty good deals on their products.

Fiona, have you tried this experiment comparing sugar to agave nectar? I switched from turbinado sugar to agave nectar in my coffee because agave has a low glycemic index and is not supposed to spike your blood sugar, and it doesn't have an aftertaste like stevia does.

We tried the Agave, but it has an astringent taste to it I didn't care for. I really don't need to sweeten much in my diet, I only use 1-2 teaspoons a day for my coffee. My blood sugar downfall is rice, pasta and potatoes.

__________________“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein

Honey has anti-microbial properties through multiple mechanisms. Fist, it's hygroscopic. Is that the right word? It absorbs moisture from its surroundings, just like salt and sugar. The little micro-critters simply implode as the moisture is sucked out of them. If that weren't enough, certain honeys (a particular type from New Zealand) reacts with wound site to form hydrogen peroxide, which again destroys the microbes.

When honey is diluted sufficiently with liquid, microbes will grow in it, just as they do in any moist environment.

The reason that yeast and Clostridium botulinum bacteria can survive in raw honey is that both organizms hang out as spores. They are encased in a protective shell that acts like a tiny life capsule that keeps them alive in harsh environments. Yeast spores are said to survive in the vacuum of space. That's how sturdy these little critters are.

When the spores come into contact with moisture, the shells dissolve and allow the bacteria to flourish. The botulism toxin ( a protien that causes paralysis) is excreted by the bacteria as it feeds on whatever it feeds on.

The reason it is dangerous to babies and todlers is that their digestive systems can't yet produce the enzymes required to digest (denature) the dangerous protien.

Even if the raw honey is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill the spores, the young digestive tract can't properly digest the honey itself. Again, it lacks the required enzymes.

Now this is all from memory, but is fairly accurate. Consult respected scientific sources for more accurate info.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Lognwind of the North

Learned something again--I've only used hygroscopic when describing the wicking capacity of fiber (fwiw, commercial carpets are often made of a hydrophobic fiber or treated to be hydrophobic-repel water). I am still having a hard time getting my head around honey being hygroscopic because of my point-of-reference for hygroscopic properties.

LOL! S'okay, I still didn't find it. But I did find a local (500 miles) brand. Sometimes I just want an already made loaf of sliced bread, not often, but sometimes. I've gotten good about not eating so much bread...now to work on the potatoes.

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__________________“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein